The best places in the U.S. for seeing cherry blossoms in bloom

As the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. However, cherry blossoms like to get a head start, and we have no complaints about that.

Floral cherry trees are a beloved tourist attraction in cities around the world, and while many of the best spots to view them are in Asia and Europe, there are plenty of cities in the U.S. that also come alive with these delicate blooms in the springtime.

Scroll through this list of American locales where you can take a spectacular walk through flowering cherry trees.

MORE: These are the best dates for seeing Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms in 2024

Washington, D.C.

Of course, the best-known U.S. city for enjoying the cherry trees in bloom is Washington, D.C., which draws millions of people each year, eager to snap photos of the pale pink and white blooms sweetly dotting the grounds of our nation’s capital city. On their own, the monuments around the District are a spectacular sight, but they hit a new high when the cherry trees bloom around the Tidal Basin. In this photo, the Jefferson Memorial makes an elegant backdrop for the soft pink petals.

Newark, New Jersey

Believe it or not, the U.S. spot that can boast the most cherry blossoms in the entire country is actually located in New Jersey. Newark’s Branch Brook Park even beats out Washington, D.C.’s stunning display with its whopping 4,000 cherry trees that explode into various shades of pink — from bright hues to soft blush — every spring.

Los Angeles, California

The Descanso Garden, located outside downtown Los Angeles, practically vibrates with color in the springtime, thanks to the stunning blooms such as tulips, daffodils and, of course, cherry blossoms.

Macon, Georgia

Every March, this southern community known to many as the “cherry blossom capital” celebrates its blossoming cherry trees with a festival lasting 10 days.

Seattle, Washington

The campus quad at the University of Washington blushes a sweet pink color each spring as the area’s trees show off their blooms. These cherry blossoms have been delighting students, faculty and visitors for decades. They’re so popular, they even have their own Twitter account (with tweets written in the first-person perspective of the trees themselves).

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Many parts of Philadelphia are bursting with pink color come April, thanks to the city’s multitude of cherry trees, but Fairmount Park is one of the best spots for enjoying the breathtaking rows of blossoming trees. The serene park is an idyllic spot for strolling and taking photos.

San Francisco, California

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park provides a tranquil retreat any time of year, but the addition of the blossoming cherry trees contributes a dreamy effect to the atmosphere if you can visit this tourist spot during the springtime. It’s easy to believe you’ve been spirited away to Japan while sipping tea amidst the gentle pink cherry blossoms.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston doesn’t exactly boast thousands of cherry trees like some of these other hot spots, but an area lining part of the city’s Charles River is worth checking out in the springtime. Cherry trees in this part of Boston burst into color around early April, making for delightful views as you stroll the promenade or even set out on the river in a kayak.

St. Louis, Missouri

Those in the St. Louis, Missouri, area don’t have to travel to far-flung locales to take in the sight of flowering cherry trees. Visitors to the Missouri Botanical Garden around the last two weeks of March through the first week of April are treated to a grand display of the pink-petaled trees.

Dallas, Texas

Texas may not be the first place to come to mind when you think “cherry blossoms,” but the Dallas Arboretum has over 100 cherry trees that create quite the flowery spectacle when the calendar turns to March each year.

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn is the borough for the best cherry blossoms in New York City, thanks to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Come springtime, New Yorkers and tourists suddenly align in their common pursuit of the most Instagrammable snapshots of the candy-pink blooms.

Traverse City, Michigan

There’s a stretch of Highway M-37 by Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City that offers a dazzling feast for the eyes every spring, as the region’s 2 million or so cherry trees bloom with delicate, pretty flowers. For a closer look, try biking the Leelanau Trail, parts of which will bring you by the cherry orchards and their lovely springtime blossoms.